Compare the Present Perfect Simple and Continuous:
| I/you/we/they | have/’s | worked. |
| He/she/it | has/’s |
| I/you/we/they | have/’s | been working. |
| He/she/it | has/’s |
We use the Present Perfect Simple (have decorated) to talk about a past activity that is now completed:
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We use the Present Perfect Continuous (have been decorating) to emphasise the activity itself, which may or may not be completed:
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We use the Present Perfect Simple to ask and answer How many …?, How much …?:
|
We usually use the Present Perfect Continuous to ask How long …?, and with for and since:
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Note that we usually use the Present Perfect Simple (NOT the Continuous):
- to talk about short actions with have, stop, break, etc:
- Tony has had an accident in his car.
- with verbs of thinking (e.g. know, decide, forget, notice, etc):
- I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.
- to talk about the last time that something happened:
- I haven’t been to the cinema for two years. (= I last went to the cinema two years ago.)
Note that we can use the Present Perfect Simple or the Continuous with work, teach, and live, with no difference in meaning:
- I have lived here for 20 years. OR I have been living here for 20 years.
PRACTICE
Now it is time to practise what you have learned.
- For each Practice Test, read the instructions carefully.
- Complete the exercise and press 'Check' to get your results.
Practice Test A
Practice Test B
Practice Test C
Practice Test D
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